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Rational Brotherhood
The Rational Brotherhood is a secret society that embraces the purity of science above all other things. Members deny the value of culture, the arts, human emotion, the concept of mercy, or anything else that "serves to cloud the mind and fog the process of reason." The Brotherhood frequently investigates reports of unusual phenomena, often coming into conflict with members of other cabals. Attempts by this cabal to master the art (or science, as they see it) of thaumaturgy have brought clashes with the forces of both light and darkness. Symbol The mark of the Rational Brotherhood is the mortar and pestle that has long been associated with both the pursuit of science and the quasi-arcane art of alchemy. Members of the cabal are not required to carry such items with them, but an image or icon of such a device is always used to identify a member as a Brother. Members The Brotherhood recruits members based on their past scientific endeavors. Only after a person has made an important discovery of some sort will he be contacted and investigated for suitability. Obviously, these requirements for membership lead to an order composed of highly intelligent men and women. The devotion that members show toward their research, as well as science in general, tends to distance them from the rest of the human race. The codes of the Brotherhood take a dim view of compassion, mercy, and the like. These elements of human personality are assumed to make an individual weak. Devout adherents of the code do everything in their power to cleanse themselves of such character flaws. History Like the Falcon Circle, an almost defunct cabal based in Pawsatucket, the Rational Brotherhood is believed to be descended from a group of powerful thaumaturgists that operated out of Barlovia more than 1,000 years ago. When that order, which is believed to have been founded by the ancient wizard Teanchus, was destroyed in the 700s, many of its members formed new cabals and attempted to carry on their work. The first known appearance of the Rational Brotherhood in its current state is recorded in the early 1200’s in Dalkhrova. Records of the time indicate the existence of a mysterious group that sought to understand the nature of light and to harness the mystical properties that it was believed to possess. The great advances made in these fields at that time and in that region of the world are probably due largely to the actions of this cabal. In the centuries since, many of mankind’s greatest scientific achievements can be traced directly to the efforts of this group. It is believed, for example, that Fernando Tevan, who invented the battery, was a member of the Brotherhood. Other important followers of the Code of Rationality are believed to include Leonard Devine, Herman Locks, Marconi Vlaseiv, and Darko Gril. For the last century or so, the Rational Brotherhood has been headquartered in Norrilund. Although it was originally based somewhere in the Kaspari Empire, the society relocated in the 15th century. The exact reason for this change is unknown. Category:Organizations Category:Secret Societies Category:Organizations in Norrilund Category:Organizations in Barlovia